OVERVIEW:  The Mk 23 is a heavyweight U.S. Navy submarine-launched torpedo designed exclusively for anti‑surface ship warfare. It retains the high‑speed, short‑range function of the Mk 14, removing the low‑speed, long‑range setting.

DETAILS:  “Mark” denotes its place in the Navy’s torpedo series; Mk 23 is essentially a Mk 14 torpedo modified in 1943. It measures 21 in diameter, 246 in (6.25 m) long, weighs about 3 260 lb (1 480 kg), and carries a 643‑lb HBX warhead with a Mk 6 Mod 13 contact exploder. Propelled by a wet‑heater steam turbine, it achieves 46.3 kn speed with a maximum range of 4 500 yd, gyroscope‑guided. It entered service in 1943 and was withdrawn by 1946 when the Navy returned to the dual-mode Mk 14; large quantities of Mk 23s were scrapped or converted back into Mk 14s.

TYPE: Heavyweight submarine-launched anti‑ship torpedo

FUNCTION:  Launched from 533 mm submarine tubes, it runs at high speed via wet‑heater propulsion and uses gyroscopic steering to maintain course to the target. Upon impact, detonation is achieved via the contact exploder to inflict maximum hull damage.

NOTE:
IOC: 1943
Manufacturer: Naval Torpedo Station Newport, Naval Torpedo Station Keyport, Naval Ordnance Plant St. Louis, USA
Operators: United States
Platforms: U.S. fleet submarines of World War II (Gato, Balao, Tench classes)
Conflict used in: World War II (Pacific)

SOURCE: U.S. Navy “Torpedoes Mark 14 and 23 Types” (1945 records); E.W. Jolie “A Brief History of US Navy Torpedo Development: Mk 23” (1978); Naval History and Heritage Command data on Mk 23; designation‑systems.net “Torpedoes – MARK Series”